WEDNESDAY, NOV. 20, 2019 | IN THIS ISSUE
• CR leaders give the nod to latest Cargill railyard plan
• Three questions with 'Shark Tank's' Robert Herjavec
• In the CBJ: World Class Industries keeps growing in Hiawatha
• Iowa students awarded about $6.6M in Last Dollar Scholarships
• Movers & Shakers: Week of 11.18.19
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CR leaders give the nod to latest Cargill railyard plan
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Cargill’s embattled plan to build its own railyard in southeast Cedar Rapids cleared a major hurdle Tuesday when the Cedar Rapids City Council approved the first reading of two ordinances that would clear the way to build it on city-owned land long considered a nature preserve near Prairie Park Fishery.
The council unanimously approved a rezoning of the 17-acre “Stewart Road parcel” from a Suburban Residential Large Lot designation to a General Industrial District and changed the area’s designation on the city’s Future Land Use Map from an Urban Low Intensity to an Urban High Intensity designation.
Cargill has said it needs its own railyard to keep its nearby wet corn milling facility competitive due to rising switching fees charged by its rail service provider.
The votes followed some three hours of arguments for and against the proposal, which was the third Cargill has brought before the city after being turned back twice. The debate included the closest thing to an ultimatum Cargill has issued on what could happen if it isn’t allowed to build.
“We need the resolution to this issue now,” said Michael Wagner, who leads Cargill’s North American network of starch, sweetener and texturizing product plants, and reminded the council that the company provides 600 local jobs. He said the railyard is “a key factor in how we evaluate our potential future investment in Cedar Rapids,” and added that “if we are not able to make these needed investments to remain competitive, I’ll be put in a position to determine the longevity and future of this location.”
Although some neighboring residents were appeased by mitigation measures Cargill has agreed to in order to reduce the impact of the railyard, most who spoke were not, and added concerns about how the railyard could impact visitors and aquatic life at the city’s nearby Prairie Park Fishery.
State Sen. Rob Hogg, who lives nearby, said “there is no compelling reason to make this change,” indicating that the rail switching fees Cargill is reacting to are being considered in a case before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. Referring to the site’s location in the Cedar River flood plain, he said the council should not make the mistake of thinking it will not flood.
City officials said that Cargill plans to buy the previously considered “farm” site for the railyard and convert it to pollinator habitat to mitigate the impact on pollinators such as bees and butterflies, and to satisfy the terms of a REAP grant the city received to cultivate pollinators on the railyard site. A long list of mitigation measures also include permanent buffer zone with a tall, densely vegetated berm separating the railyard from nearby homes.
IMAGE: Cargill's latest effort to build a railyard in southeast Cedar Rapids drew comments from a number of area residents, most of whom spoke out against the project. CREDIT CBS2/FOX 28
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Three questions with 'Shark Tank's' Robert Herjavec
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You've seen investor and entrepreneur Robert Herjavec on ABC's "Shark Tank" and "Dancing With the Stars." Now, you'll be able to see him in the flesh as part of U.S. Cellular's Business Tech Tour, coming to the Coralville Marriott tonight from 4:30-8:30 p.m.
Mr. Herjavec's life is an authentic rag-to-riches, obscurity-to-celebrity story. Immigrating with his family from Yugoslovia with almost nothing, he hustled his way to fortune by founding BRAK Systems and selling it to AT&T Canada. From there, he founded the Herjavec Group, one of Canada's top technology and computer security firms with annual revenues topping $200 million.
The CBJ was granted a few minutes with Mr. Herjavec on Nov. 14 ahead of tonight's visit. We asked him about his popular "Shark Tank" persona and what attendees can expect at the event.
Can you remind us how you made the job from tech entrepreneur to reality TV star on "Shark Tank?"
They called me out of the blue in Canada, before the show came to the United States, and asked me to audition. I sat in my chair with four other guys and the guy next to me kept interrupting me over and over. I finally said to him, "Interrupt me one more time and I'm going to take you outside and beat the crap out of you!" That guy was Kevin [O'Leary, a fellow shark and co-founder of Softkey Software]. We both auditioned on the same day and got the job... and we've been friends ever since.
Your "Shark Tank" persona seems to be the "white knight," who is a warmer and friendlier funder than the others. Is that part of the act, or are you just being yourself?
We're awful actors and it's always awkward, because people see us on TV and think what great actors we are, because we're interesting onscreen. So they ask us to do other shows, and I show up and they give me a script and I can't act. The directors are like, "Oh... my... God." I think that's the reason the show works. I think I am a pretty nice guy until you push me hard enough, and then I'm going to push back - really hard. And you know Kevin kind of is that irritating, arrogant guy. I love him, but that's who he is. And you know Mark [Cuban, fellow shark and owner of the Dallas Mavericks] is a great human being and can be incredibly caring.
The Internet of Things is the big topic at the U.S. Cellular conference where you'll be speaking. How much of an impact will the Internet of Things have on cybersecurity threats?
First of all, the Internet of Things, it probably was the biggest expansion of technology in our lifetime. That idea of connecting everything through the internet has become so pervasive. It's really astounding to someone like me - the data speeds and connectivity, the productivity that it can bring to communities that never had that level of speed really changes the game. As long as I have that level or kind of activity, I can compete as a small company with the biggest companies in the world. I can do e-commerce, I can do a lot of things that I couldn't do before. And that's one reason I'm excited to be involved. It is really a game-changer.
It's also a game-changer from a security perspective. There are a lot of automated 'bots that are involved with [security] breaches, and the faster those things become, the more dangerous the online world becomes. Plus, the more things that are connected, the more ways there are for me to break in through every new access point - your fridge, my twins' baby monitors, my car. These are all ways I can now hack in to take information or spread false information.
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In the CBJ: World Class Industries keeps growing in Hiawatha
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With a quick swipe on the touchscreen of a programmable logic controller, World Class Industries celebrated its latest expansion in the Corridor on Nov. 7.
The new $8 million facility that opened in June at 1535 Stamy Road in Hiawatha provides about 50,000 square feet of space for manufacturing, innovation and customer interaction.
During the open house and dedication for the facility, WCI CEO Brent Cobb said the growing company is proud of the capabilities provided by the new facility for flexible production of sub-assemblies for off-road equipment manufacturers.
The sub-assemblies, such as pipe assemblies that carry fuel lines and electrical wiring around the cabs of a John Deere tractor, are loaded onto racks that can be wheeled right onto the production floor of the Deere factory in Waterloo, just when they are needed for production.
Customers such as Deere and CNH Industrial rely on WCI not only to meet their quality standards and deliver in time, but to negotiate supply and delivery terms with parts suppliers.
“We like to say, ‘we simplify supply chains,’” Chairman Pat Cobb, Brent’s father, said.
Read the full members-only story in this week's print or
digital editions
of the CBJ.
IMAGE: World Class Industries employees sit for a photo during the Nov. 7 open house and dedication for WCI's new $8 million assembly facility in Hiawatha. PHOTO DAVE DEWITTE
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Iowa students awarded about $6.6M in Last Dollar Scholarships
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Early numbers show more upwards of $6.6 million in
Last Dollar Scholarship
money has been awarded for the fall semester - more than half of the $13 million appropriated by the Iowa Legislature for the 2019-20 academic year.
“This scholarship is a critical tool for growing incomes, closing the skills gap, and helping meet the needs of a competitive economy,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a news release.
This is the first semester the Last-Dollar Scholarship has been available. It focuses on meeting business and industry workforce needs in four key areas: health care and biosciences; information technology; advanced manufacturing production, installation and maintenance; and construction and engineering.
"When Iowans find good-paying jobs in cutting-edge careers, it can be life-changing for them and their families,” Ms. Reynolds said. “The Last-Dollar Scholarship is connecting more Iowans to rewarding career opportunities, which will help employers hire the skilled
workers they need to grow.”
The scholarship covers tuition and qualified fees for post-secondary credentials up to two-year degrees after an eligible student has applied other non-repayable state and federal aid. The average award for fall 2019 is $1,132.
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Movers & Shakers: Week of 11.18.19
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For the complete list of this week's Movers & Shakers, see the
Nov. 18 edition of the CBJ.
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Nov. 20
Walgreens Pharmacy Ribbon Cutting,
by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, 4-5 p.m., 1029 S. Riverside Drive, Suite 100, Iowa City. Free. For more information, visit
bit.ly/2BVo4NP
.
Investing on Tap,
by Hills Bank, 4:30-6 p.m., White Star Ale House, 305 Second Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. Learn about retirement planning from experts at Hills Bank. Free. To register, visit
bit.ly/2Pfbp0a
.
Nov. 21
Small Business Breakfast Roundtable,
by SCORE of East Central Iowa, 7:30-9 a.m., Scott’s Family Restaurant, 1906 Blairs Ferry Road NE, Cedar Rapids. Build relationships, share best practices and get help with challenges. Free. To register, visit
conta.cc/2pMgWAs.
Separated at Birth: Branding and Behavioral Economics,
by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 8-9:15 a.m., Economic Alliance, 501 First St. SE, Cedar Rapids. Learn what behavioral economics is and how it can help marketers. Free. To register, visit
bit.ly/32DFFWt.
Loft StartUp Exchange Meet Up,
by Marion Economic Development Corp., 8:30-9:30 a.m., TownePlace Suites by Marriott, 2823 Seventh Ave., Marion. L
isten to Patrick Lencioni's talk on “What's your Motive?” from the Global Leadership Network.
Free. For
information, visit
bit.ly/3443Spr.
PWN Volunteer Event,
by Professional Women’s Network, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., various locations throughout the Corridor. In lieu of a final luncheon for 2019, the group will be volunteering at nonprofit organizations in the community. To register, visit
conta.cc/33IGzRX
.
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Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
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These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
A discussion on how the Solid Waste Agency will tackle the future of Linn County's landfill needs has been tabled for now. Linn County Supervisor and Solid Waste Agency chairman Brent Oleson says since the issue is so large and involves "a great deal" of money, the board will now create a smaller group to look at the proposal. "Today we were going to talk about modifying the configuration out here at the Solid Waste Agency regarding how we landfill trash, so that when we design the next cell it will serve the residents of Linn County in their landfilling needs for the next 25 years," Mr. Oleson said. "There's the possibility to design that cell to have another cell in 25 years to continue to take trash into the mid-2070's." Mr. Oleson said that additional cell capacity would require millions of dollars to be spent differently. He says they want to take more time to talk about expanding the landfill, focusing on the impacts to users and a "predictable model going into 2077."
There were more people at Tuesday’s Cedar Rapids Moms Demand Action meeting than expected. A lot more. Their guest of honor was the cause for the huge draw. "When I asked the question my mom broke down in tears and told me how I got shot in the head,” says Kayla Panos Blackcloud. Ms. Blackcloud is one of four people who was
shot May 18th outside the Iowa Smoke Shop
. She and one other victim survived, while two 18-year-old men did not. “We just want sensible gun laws,” chapter leader Christine Lehman-Engledow says. The non-partisan group is working for what they call "common sense" gun reform, including calling legislators or giving out gun locks. Read the full story
here
.
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
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CBS2 Weather First Forecast
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There will be a mix of sun and clouds this afternoon. Temperatures will climb into the upper 40s to low 50s ahead of the next storm system. Clouds thicken up tonight and rain will move in after 9 p.m. Rain, and maybe thunder, will continue through the night. Rain will wind down around 10 a.m. Thursday as the cold front, associated with the storm, moves through. Rainfall totals will be around a half an inch to an inch across the area. Temperatures on Thursday will be in the low to mid-50s in the late morning/early afternoon. Cooler air will move in behind the cold front and temperatures will drop through the day.
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